Quick Answer
Clue: “The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this”
Answer: MONEY
Answer length: 5 letters
Position: 8-Across
The New York Times crossword clue “The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this” is answered with MONEY, fitting neatly into a five-square across slot.
Why “MONEY” Is the Right NYT Answer
- The clue points to a historical practice where tea bricks functioned as a medium of exchange, so the general term solvers are expected to supply is money, not a specific currency name.
- The wording “used … as this” signals “what role did those tea bricks play?” they weren’t just food or trade goods; they served as money.
Because the grid needs a simple, common five-letter word, MONEY is far more likely than something technical like “CASH” or “COINS,” and it perfectly matches the clue’s broad definition.
What “MONEY” Means in Plain English
- In plain English, money is anything widely accepted as a means of payment coins, paper bills, or, historically, things like salt, shells, or, here, compressed tea bricks. The clue taps into that broad economic idea without requiring specialist knowledge.
- For crossword purposes, you only need the everyday sense: if people buy and sell with it, it’s acting as money.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Variants
- At 8-Across, MONEY appears as M‑O‑N‑E‑Y, so any early crossings might give you a pattern like M_O_E_ or ON Y, quickly pointing you toward MONEY. This is the kind of entry where even two or three letters make the answer obvious.
- MONEY is a fairly common crossword answer and can reappear with clues such as “What ATMs dispense,” “Currency,” or “Means of exchange,” so recognizing it here builds a reusable association.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- Watch for “used as this” or “served as this” in clues; they often ask for a role (like MONEY, FUEL, TOOL) rather than a specific object.
- When a clue references an unusual historical “currency” (cattle, shells, salt, tea bricks), the safest grid-friendly answer is usually MONEY if the slot length fits.
Thinking in terms of function “what were those objects for?” is a reliable way to crack history and economics-themed entries.
